Hope College
Hope College is a highly selective, private, coeducational liberal arts college located in St. Saviour, Trinity County, in New Cambria. The college was founded in 1828 by area members of the Anglican Church to ensure an education grounded in Anglican values for their young men. It is the oldest college in New Cambria founded with Anglican origins. Although the college no longer has a formal religious affiliation, the Anglican philosophy still influences campus life. Originally an all-male institution, Hope began admitting female transfer students in the 1960s, and became fully co-ed in 1975 when the board of managers came to consensus on a proposal initiated by then president Charles E. Stanbury. The reason for the delay was not because of lack of interest in coeducation in prior years, but rather a concern for how such a change would impact Hope's relationship with its sister college, the predominantly female Sacred Heart College. As of 2008, more than half of Hope's students are women. All students a the college are undergraduates, and almost all live on campus. Hope remains one of the smallest of New Cambria's elite tertiary institutions. For most of the 20th century, Hope's total enrollment was kept below 500. It went through two periods of expansion after the 1960s, and its current enrollment is 1,168 students. Hope has been described as "quietly prestigious," and has been referred to as one of the country's most difficult schools to get into. Hope is known for its rigorous academics, symbolized and maintained by the faculty's resistance to grade inflation. Hope is a member of the Tri-College Consortium, which allows students to register for courses at both Sacred Heart College and Keller College. Honor Code In 1891, the students and faculty at Hope voted to adopt an Honor Code to govern academic affairs. Since then, every students has been allowed to schedule his or her own final exams. Take-home examinations are also common at Hope. These exams may include strict instructions such as time limits, prohibitions on using assigned texts or personal notes, and calculator usage. All students are bound to follow these instructions by the Code. Originally conceived as a code of academic honesty, the Honor Code had expanded by the 1980s to govern social interactions. The code does not list specific rules of behaviour, but rather outlines a philosophy of trust, concern and respect for others that students are expected to follow. When a student (or other community member) feels that another student has broken the Code, he or she is encouraged not to look the other way, but rather to confront the possible offender and engage in a dialogue with him or her, before taking matters to an Honour Council which can help mediate the dispute. Student government officers administer the Code, and all academic matters are heard by student juries. More sever matters are addressed by administrators. Abstracts from cases hear by students and joint administrative-student panels are distributed to all students by several means, including as print-outs in mailboxes. The trial abstracts are made anonymous by the use of pseudonyms, which are often characters from entertainment or history. The student body convenes every semester in a plenary session. At these meetings, the Honor Code or Student Constitution can be amended, and at Spring Plenary it must be re-ratified by the entire student body. The Honor Code is touted by the Office of Admissions, and every student is required to sign a pledge agreeing to the Code prior to attending. Unlike some other Honor Codes tat are imposed on the students by the administration, the Hope Honor Code is entirely student-run. The Code was originated by a body of students who felt it necessary, and current Hope students administer and amend it every year. Academics Hope enjoys a reputation as one of the best places to experience an undergraduate education and to prepare for a professional or academic career. It offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Students may choose among 31 majors in the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. While nearly all of the departments are strong, Hope's natural sciences are particularly noteworthy. Other departments with known tradition are philosophy, economics and religion. All departments require a senior thesis or project for graduation, and many departments also have junior-level seminar or year-long projects such as in biology and chemistry. The college also maintains a distribution requirement, spreading coursework in all three areas of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, in addition to major coursework. Hope faculty also have a strong resistance to grade inflation. In addition to majors and minors, Hope offers concentrations in African studies, biochemistry, biophysics, computer science, East Asian studies, education, feminist and gender studies, health and society, Latin American and Iberian studies, mathematical economics, neural and behavioral sciences and peace studies. Students may pursue pre-medical, pre-law or pre-business intentions through any major; the college offers special advising by professionals in those fields. Campus The campus is located near the confluence of the Blackwater and Cheshire Rivers, and has been designated a national arboretum. Its 316 acres (128 hectares) contain nature trails, a duck pond, historic trees of diverse species, sculpture, as well as greenhouses with flower and Asian gardens. The buildings on campus are mostly stone. Recent renovations and additions within the last 10 years include a centre for science and a new athletics centre. Planned additions in the future include renovations for a larger humanities centre, new performing arts space, a student centre and a new dorm to decompress current housing. Much of the student body (97%) lives on campus, where housing options include apartments, themed houses and traditional dormitories. Various options for housing exist, including suites of singles, doubles and triples. Housing policy is very liberal and many non-freshman suites are co-ed. In 2002, co-ed roommate options were officially permitted for the first time, having occurred unofficially since 1979. Unique amongst New Cambria's tertiary institions, approximately 75% of faculty live on campus. Student life Category:New Cambria Category:Buildings Category:Organizations